A 47-second bit about a rescue pit bull who is scared of loud noises has passed 2.1 million plays on Instagram. The man telling it is Jamell Sirleaf, a Liberian-American stand-up who works the New York club circuit.

Quick answer

Jamell Sirleaf is a Liberian-American stand-up comedian and writer based in New York City. He performs regularly at New York Comedy Club, Eastville Comedy Club and other city rooms, has played the Vermont and Vail comedy festivals, and went viral in 2026 with a stand-up clip about his rescue dog that passed 2.1 million Instagram plays.

Key takeaways

  • Jamell Sirleaf is a New York City comedian who describes himself as Liberian-American.
  • His pinned Instagram reel about a “free” rescue pit bull has more than 2.1 million plays as of October 17, 2026.
  • His bio lists headlining spots at the Vermont Comedy Festival (2022 and 2023) and the Vail Comedy Festival (2023).
  • He competed in the 2024 Jersey City Comedy Festival, and his official bio says he won it.
  • He told Cracked he taped his first hour of stand-up in April 2026.

The dog that was scared of everything

The clip opens on a club stage in front of a brick wall and a pink neon comedy-club sign. Jamell Sirleaf, in a dark sweatshirt, is explaining that his dog was free, and that the dog reminds him every day why.

He wanted a pit bull because he lives alone and figured the dog would make a good guard dog. Then the shelter called to mention one small detail: the dog is scared of loud noises. His answer is the whole joke. So is he. That is why he got the dog. Now the two of them sit at home together, jumping at every sound.

He posted the clip on Instagram on January 14, 2026 with the caption “pls adopt don’t buy.” As of October 17, 2026, it shows more than 2.1 million plays and over 138,000 likes, and it sits pinned at the top of his Reels tab. For a lot of people searching his name, this is the set that introduced them.

Who is Jamell Sirleaf?

Jamell Sirleaf is a stand-up comedian and writer based in New York City. His official website calls him “a talented Liberian-American comedian based in New York City,” and his Instagram bio puts it more simply: Liberian, in NYC.

He is a working club comic. His bio on the Vail Comedy Festival site says he performs regularly at StandUp NY, New York Comedy Club and Eastville Comedy Club, and that The Comedy Mob and Laughing Buddha Comedy School have highlighted him as a comic to watch. He also has a performer page at The Stand NYC.

Off the stage, he makes short sketches for social media, including office-life bits and a recurring “If work had subtitles” series on Instagram.

Where is Jamell Sirleaf from?

He is based in New York City and identifies as Liberian-American. In a stand-up clip pinned to his Instagram, he tells the crowd he grew up in a small town in Central Florida.

How did Jamell Sirleaf get started in comedy?

When Cracked asked who his first comedy hero was, he gave a two-word answer: “Eddie Murphy.”

His festival record goes back to at least 2022. According to his bios on The Stand and the Vail Comedy Festival site, he was featured in the World Series of Comedy Festival, which the bio describes as a nationwide tour of up-and-coming comics, and was a regular performer on the Afropunk x Vans Channel 66 Live Stream Show for its first two seasons.

His official site lists the rest:

  • Headlined shows at the Vermont Comedy Festival in December 2022 and December 2023
  • Headlined shows at the Vail Comedy Festival in May 2023, where he was an official selection
  • Performed at Laugh After Dark’s comedy festival in October 2023
  • Performed at Hell Yes Fest in New Orleans in November 2023
  • Performed at the Essence Festival of Culture in July 2024

In June 2024 he was one of 50 comics picked from more than 220 submissions for the Jersey City Comedy Festival. New Jersey Stage listed him in Stand Up Competition #5 on June 11. His website and his New York Comedy Club bio both say he took home the title that year.

He also helps put shows together. On a May 2024 episode of the Morning Good podcast, he was listed as a co-runner of Coming To America, a show held the first Friday of every month in Astoria, Queens.

Reader poll

Have you seen Jamell Sirleaf live?

What is Jamell Sirleaf known for?

On stage, he talks about New York the way people who pay New York rent talk about it. In his full set at New York Comedy Club, he describes touring a one-bedroom in Crown Heights listed at $3,900 a month, plus first month, last month, a security deposit and a 15% broker fee. He also has a long bit about a man asking every subway rider for a dollar except him, and how insulted he was to be skipped.

Identity is the other thread. In a set from New York Comedy Club’s 10th Annual Fall Invitational, he jokes that the crowd is trying to work out whether he is a Black guy who is Indian or an Indian guy who is Black. Then there is the dog, which gives him his most personal material: a guy who wanted protection and got a roommate who is just as jumpy as he is.

Jamell Sirleaf’s full set at New York Comedy Club, posted to his YouTube channel in August 2025.

Where can you watch Jamell Sirleaf?

His YouTube channel, which has about 2,800 subscribers as of October 17, 2026, carries full sets and shorter clips. The full sets include his nine-minute New York Comedy Club set, his NYCC 10th Annual Fall Invitational set and a set from the 2024 Jersey City Comedy Festival.

Most of his newer material shows up first on Instagram, where he has 26.1K followers, and TikTok, where he has about 16.5K followers and roughly 1.1 million likes as of October 17, 2026.

A longer project is on the way. Asked by Cracked about his proudest moment as a comedian, he said: “Just taped my first hour in April this year!” No release details for that hour were posted on his website as of October 2026.

What is Jamell Sirleaf doing now?

He is still building in public. In June 2026 he played the Cracked Comedy Club show, and Cracked’s write-up quoted his take on where comedy is headed: “I think we’re going to enter a new golden age of comedies.”

In October 2026 he was a guest on the Lay It All Out There podcast, according to a collaborative post on his Instagram, and he keeps posting new stand-up clips and sketches several times a week.

Is Jamell Sirleaf on tour?

His listed dates are all in New York and New Jersey. As of October 2026, the tickets section of his official website lists these dates:

Date Venue City
Oct. 19, 2026 New York Comedy Club New York, NY
Oct. 22, 2026 Laugh Tour Jersey City, NJ
Oct. 25, 2026 Grisly Pear Comedy Club New York, NY
Oct. 27, 2026 Eastville Comedy Club Brooklyn, NY
Oct. 29, 2026 Greenpoint Comedy Club Brooklyn, NY
Nov. 3, 2026 Eastville Comedy Club Brooklyn, NY

The October 19 show at New York Comedy Club’s Midtown room also features Judah Friedlander, Sarah Tollemache, Meka Mo and Tyler Horvath, according to the club’s listing. His site also invites fans to join his email list and tell him which cities to visit next.

Where to follow Jamell Sirleaf

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jamell Sirleaf?

Jamell Sirleaf is a Liberian-American stand-up comedian and writer based in New York City. He performs at clubs including New York Comedy Club and Eastville Comedy Club, and he went viral in 2026 with a clip about his rescue pit bull.

What is Jamell Sirleaf’s viral video?

His most-played clip is a 47-second bit about adopting a free rescue pit bull for protection, only to learn the dog is scared of loud noises, just like him. Posted to Instagram in January 2026, it had more than 2.1 million plays by October 17, 2026.

Is Jamell Sirleaf Liberian?

Yes. His official website describes him as Liberian-American, and his Instagram bio reads “liberian in nyc” alongside a Liberian flag. In a stand-up clip on Instagram, he says he grew up in a small town in Central Florida.

Did Jamell Sirleaf win the Jersey City Comedy Festival?

He competed in the 2024 Jersey City Comedy Festival, appearing in Stand Up Competition #5 on June 11, 2024. His official website and New York Comedy Club bio both say he won the festival that year.

Does Jamell Sirleaf have a comedy special?

He told Cracked that he taped his first hour of stand-up in April 2026. As of October 2026, no release details were posted on his website. His full club sets are available on his YouTube channel.

Where can I see Jamell Sirleaf live?

He performs mostly in New York City and Jersey City. As of October 2026, his website lists shows at New York Comedy Club, Laugh Tour, Grisly Pear, Eastville Comedy Club and Greenpoint Comedy Club through November 3, 2026.

Image credits

  • Featured image: Stand Up NY in Manhattan, one of the New York clubs where Jamell Sirleaf performs regularly, according to his festival bio. Photo: Jim.henderson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.

Sources

Read us often? Make The LA Note Magazine a preferred source in Google Search and see our reporting more often in Top Stories.

Are You a Creative?

Tell The LA Note about your work. Use our editorial submission page to introduce yourself and your story.

Get Featured
Tags: ,